A portrait of the world’s greatest city (a companion to thetokyofiles.com)

The Mongol Invasion of Japan

While researching gated communities ゲーテッドコミュニティ in Japan, I thought about the general concept of safety and security in Japan. With the exception of WW2 and Allied Occupation, Japan only faced significant foreign threats as a nation during the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. In retrospect, it was this invasion that helped forge the concept of Japan as a nation.

1274 Mongol invasion (Wikipedia) – “the long, thin Japanese swords got stuck or snapped off in the thick, boiled leather armor of the Mongols, causing blacksmiths to reevaluate their swords, which led to the invention and spread of famous Katana in the 13th and 14th century. The Katana was made shorter and thicker.”